President Obama gave a remarkable speech last week discussing the issue of National Security. He said some things that have been long overdue, but I wonder if the media will dwell on the substance rather than form. The substance of what the President offered was a blueprint for restoring not only the security of our country, but healing our national soul. Ben Franklin once said that people who would sacrifice liberty for security deserved neither. That was the essential message of President Obama. It reflects the idealism and strength of our Country which has kept us free and safe for over 200 years. Fear mongering is the character and trade of men like Dick Cheney. He is a man whose life is organized around fear. A man who dodged the draft 6 times is a coward. Like most cowards he talks the talk until it comes time to walk the walk. The juxtaposition of Cheney with President Obama offered a clear choice to Americans: are we still the land of the brave and home of the free, or are we sheep following torturers and fear mongers?
FiegerTime - Geoffrey Fieger's Blog 
Speaking of healing our national soul, and since there’s no other comment yet to this particular post, it’s high time for a musical interlude.
This is world-renowned classical guitarist, David Russell, playing the last song that the great composer Barrios ever wrote, “Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios”, which means “An Alm for the Love of God”. The song is sometimes also called “El Ultimo Cancione” as it is his last song.
There is a story behind this song. As it happened, Barrios had a student over for a guitar lesson when there was some knocking at the door. The student went to answer, and there stood an old woman, who said, “An alm, please, for the love of God”.
Barrios overheard this, and at that time had not yet completed the song. He said to the student, “Yes, that’s it! That is how I will end the song…”
And the introduction is the knocking of the woman at the door, while the song is her voice, pleading for an alm.
And so, Augustin Barrios Mangoré, one of the finest composers for guitar who ever lived, completed the song, and then passed away the next day.
There are those in this world who can find beauty in even the smallest and simplest of things. He was one of them.
I hope you enjoyed the song, Mr. Fieger, and always remember, even in the midst of that very tough world you so often take on, to find the beauty, every day.
God, do we ever need to pass this important bill, and soon:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/11/lawmakers-push-legislation-ban-deadly-burn-pits-bases-iraq-afghanistan/
Last night at work, one of our nursing assistants confided to me that she’d been in Balad while these burn pits were in operation. She’s only about 21 or so, young and beautiful and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
She told me that she worries at night, lying there wondering if she will get leukemia as a result of this travesty.
I had no idea until she told me this. I’m shocked and very upset, but not surprised. I know a little about the horrors that go on during this war.
I just wanted to post something here about this bill, on her behalf, and on the behalf of all those men and women who are over there, for us.
I pray for their safe return and hope that they return to a better United States.
Are we really that different from our closest evolutionary cousins, chimpanzees? We travel in groups, kill rival groups, and have Alpha Males who call the shots and their high social status gets people to follow them no matter how ultimately destructive they are. And Alpha Males get the most mating opportunities. And they rarely resist those opportunities. And it increases their social status. And they have the most offspring. And then they go on trash talk shows like “Maury.”
Julie